NEWS: All 16 NRL teams to wear special jerseys for 2017 Indigenous Round

The NRL will celebrate its annual Indigenous Round this weekend, and they’re marking the occasion by having all 16 teams wearing special jerseys for the first time.

The theme of the 2017 Indigenous Round is ‘Recognition’ and commemorates two significant anniversaries in the journey of indigenous people to be recognised in Australia – the 50th anniversary of the 1967 Referendum to enable States and Territories to make laws in support of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and to count them in the census, and the 25th anniversary of the 1992 High Court Mabo decision that recognised native title for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

As is the way with indigenous jerseys across both Australian rugby codes in the last few years, the varied jerseys, which have been made by Canterbury, ISC, Classic, ASICS and X Blades all incorporate indigenous art and symbolism.

What is slightly odd is that the Warriors, as New Zealand’s representative, don’t seem to be wearing their Heritage jersey, but a tweaked version of their standard away shirt – as yet we don’t have a reason for this.

The shirts will be worn across Round 10 of the NRL Telstra Premiership, which takes place this weekend.